Bruises
by GingerGeek
Summary: It was just a bad week, I tried to convince myself. Just a bad week. Teen for abuse, swearing, and dark themes. Please read! Summary is bad, but the story is good! (I think. ..) Remember, the less frequent reviews, the less frequent updates!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey nerds! New story. Hope you like it!**

"Wally, wake up!" My mom hollered.

I groaned and shoved my head under his pillow. I really didn't want to get up. My head and back hurt from the mission last night, and all I really wanted to do was sleep the whole day. But, knowing that there was training at the mountain at 7, I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed, slipping on some faded jeans and a Nirvana tee-shirt. Trudging into the bathroom, I ran a comb through my hair and brushed my teeth.

"Wally! Come on, you've gotta be at the mountain by six!"

I sighed. "I know mom! Gimme a minute!" Flying down the stairs, I perched at the counter. As usual, Dad was nowhere to be seen.

She turned to me. I saw that there were four dark bruises tracked down her left forearm, suspiciously shaped like fingerprints. It was noticeable that she had tried to cover them with makeup, which worried me. She wanted to make them unnoticeable, which leaned that something had happened that she didn't want to know about...

"Hurry up and eat," she said as she shoved a few protein bars at me. "I didn't have time to make breakfast today, so those'll have to do." She slid a glass of Orange juice toward me.

I nodded and shoved the protein bars into my mouth.

When I was finished chewing, I looked up at her, concerned, and gestured to her bruises. "Mom, how did you get those bruises?"

She quickly looked down to her arm, then back up at me. Panic flitted through her eyes as she tugged down the purple sleeve of her sweater, but she quickly recovered. "Um, it was just one of the machines at work, and I hit my arm the wrong way..."

"Oh," I said. But I wasn't convinced at all. No machine that I knew of had parts shaped like that. Not even where dad worked. Dad had been hanging out at the bars more and more lately, and he had been stressed at work. The last few months he had barely acnowledged me and mom, and last night I heard yelling. I thought that maybe the tv was on, but maybe...

No, I told myself. He wouldn't.

"They weren't there last night, were they?"

Apparently my mom could see the concern on my face, because she sighed. "Honey, I'm fine. Now c'mon, you don't want to be late."

I nodded and quickly kissed my mom on the cheek. "Bye mom."

She smiled and kissed me on the forehead. "Bye sweetie."

I ran out the door and to the zeta platform in Central City. It was disguised as an old refrigerator, and the alley it was in smelled like dead squirrels. But, hey, what else was I supposed to do?

I couldn't stop thinking about my mom's face when she saw the bruises. Her face was already pale and had she dark circles under her eyes. It was like I had found out a deadly secret. No Wally, you're just being paranoid, I told myself. I punched in the code to open the door. It was then I realized that mom had never answered my question...

I shook my head as if to clear my thoughts and was transported to the

M'gann looked up from her... mush... and waved. "Hey Wally!"

"Hey M'gann. Why aren't you in uniform and in the training room already?"

"Oh, you didn't get the message? It was cancelled: Black Canary got the flu."

"Oh," I said. I shrugged. "Guess I'll just hang out then," I said. "Need any help in the kitchen?"

She smiled warmly. "Nah, I'm good. But thanks!"

I walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Picking up the remote, I turned on the tv and flipped through the channels.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, no.

Real Housewives of Atlanta, nooooo.

Say Yes to the Dress...

"Ooo!" M'gann squealed. "Can you keep it on this? I love this show!"

I shrugged. Why not.

Apparently it was a marathon, so it was on all day.

Soon Superboy came to join us. We had to spend the first five minutes explaining what a wedding was, and the next five explaining why the mother's of the brides were such bitches.

Robin was next.

Pretty soon, the whole team was crowded in the living room, all marveling at how people can be so picky about a wedding dress.

So, that it how I wasted my afternoon.

Pretty soon, it was time for dinner. I was supposed to be home by six or so, meaning that I had to go.

I pushed myself off of the couch and stretched. "I gotta go guys. See ya tomorrow."

"Bye," everyone chorused.

I walked over to the zeta platforms and zapped to Central City.

Stepping out of the disguised zeta tube, I began my walk home. It was raining, hence mid-July. Turning down my street, I noticed that my dad's car was parked in our driveway. It was crooked, which was weird, because usually he was a big stickler for our house looking neat and presentable.

I walked up the walkway, but paused when I heard yelling. I could just make out my mother's voice.

I could instantly tell by her tone of voice that something wasn't right. She sounded frantic and panicky, like someone or something was hurting her. I flew up the steps of our front porch, but jumped back when the front door swung open, revealing an extremely pissed off Dad. He shoved past me as if I wasn't even there, slamming me against the brick wall of our front porch. I could smell sour alcohol on him, which was unusual. He stormed past me and flung himself into his car. I watched in awe as he sped away.

Peering back into the house, I noticed that the living room and kitchen were in shreds, and my mother was slumped against the wall. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead. She slowly pushed herself up, favoring her left wrist.

"Mom!"

I ran over to her and helped her to the couch. "Mom, what happened? Did Dad do this?"

But I already knew the answer. The bruises should have been my first hint as to what was going on.

She shrugged weakly. "Honey, your dad was having a rough day at work. I forgot to make dinner, so he was upset. It was my fault."

"Mom!" I said incredulously, "Why would he do this?"

She sighed. Clearly, she was trying to hide something from me. "I told you, he was having a rough day at work. His job is becoming more and more stressful, and I should have had dinner ready. It's not his fault."

I stared into my mother's ocean blue eyes. "Mom, how long has this been going on? How long has he been doing this to you?"

Her eyes shifted from my gaze and she looked at the floor. "It hasn't been going on for that long..."

"How long," I hissed between clenched teeth, growing more frustrated by the minute.

"I swear, it was just yesterday," she whispered, clearly ashamed.

"Mom, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because!" She protested. "He doesn't mean to! Its mostly my fault!"

I was beside myself. How could she have kept this from me?

"Wally, please don't tell anyone, please!" She begged. "He never meant to hurt me!"

I sighed. "Mom, l have to tell someone-"

"Please!" She pleaded. "Please Wally. Just wait a day or two and you'll see. You'll see!"

I contemplated her words in my head.

After a minute I spoke. "Alright. I won't tell, but if he even hurts you on accident, I want to know and I'll have to tell."

Relief washed over her face. She grasped my hands. "It won't, I promise."

I nodded meekly. "Okay.

She smiled a bit. "Okay. Let's go make dinner," she said, trying to change the subject.

I nodded and followed her into the kitchen, wondering if I had made the right choice.

After a dinner of spaghetti and three or four hours of homework, (it was finals season) my Mother and I were lounging on the couch, watching America's Got Talent.

"Wow," I commented at the guy lighting his hair on fire. "That has got to hurt."

My mom nodded and yawned. "I know. I'm gonna head up to bed. Long day. Finish this episode, then go to bed, okay?"

I nodded. "Kay."

She stretched and headed up the stairs.

I heard the door to her room close, and decided that it was safe to turn on Jimmy Kimmel.

Suddenly the door opened, and my dad walked in. I quickly shut off the tv.

"Wally?" He walked up to me.

Oh man. What is he going to do to me?

He reached out his arms and wrapped me in a hug. "I am so sorry."

Wait, what?

"I have been so stressed at work lately, and- I'm just so sorry. That was no way to treat your mother, and it will never happen again. I'm so sorry."

I was shocked. I accepted the hug numbly. I could see that he was genuinely sorry by the way he said it.

He pulled away. "I promise that it will never happen again. I just- I feel so horrible."

I nodded and relaxed a bit. "It's okay dad, I understand."

He shook his head and sighed. "Thank you for understanding Wally. I'm going to go talk to your mom."

I nodded. "No problem dad."

"I love you son."

"Love you too dad."

I switched off their tv and climbed up the stairs. Maybe it was just a bad few nights.

Hopefully.

The next morning I went to the mountain again.

"Hey Wally!" Called M'gann as I zeta beamed in

"Hey Megs," I replied. "Where is everyone?"

"I think Robin is-"

She was cut off by the voice of Batman over the intercom. "Team, suit up and report to the debriefing room."

When we all arrived, Batman walked in. "Team, you will be going on a mission, yaddah yaddah warehouse blah blah blah Detroit.

...at least that what I heard.

I wasn't paying attention, really. I was more focused on the look on my Dad's face last night. It was mixed with guilt, sorrow, and regret, but I couldn't tell which was more. He sounded sincerely sorry. And, I believed that he was sorry, I really did. But if he was that sorry...

Why did he do it in the first place?

Having a tough day at work just didn't cut it in my book. Maybe-

"Kid Flash!"

I snapped my head up and looked at Batman, who gave me a glare that made me want to shrivel up and die.

"Repeat what I just said."

"Um, uh, I stuttered. "You, ah, wanted us to go check out a gang in Detroit...?"

Batman sighed. "No. Robin will fill you in while you are traveling there. Pay attention next time," he growled.

"Yes sir," I mumbled as I trailed behind the team to the bio-ship.

This was going to be a long day.

**Did you like it? I spent a lot of time on it. I want at least 5 or 6 reviews! Kay? ** **Good. Be sure to check out my other stories! Yay! **

**Until next time, my fanpeople! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So, only three updates. You could do better.**

**Buuut, I want to thank indigo, InsaneAsylumPatient123, and girlwonder 113 for reviewing! I love you guys! **

**So, this chapter was an idea from girlwonder 113, so thank her for helping!**

The mission went by horribly. We had to fly back when we reached Ohio, because Batman forgot to give us something. That was an hour and a half. Then, he had to explain the use of the device he gave us, which took another half hour. The we flew to Detroit, which took another two hours. By the time we had arrived there, it was almost five thirty in the afternoon.

"Alright," Kaldur said, "Robin and Artemis take the back entrance. Wally and Superboy take the South entrance. M'gann and I will check the roof for any possible entrances. M'gann, can you create a mind link?"

M'gann nodded.

"Alright, let's move."

Supey and I set off to the south entrance. "Hey, you okay?" He asked. "You've been kind of distant today..."

I was surprised he actually cared. I really didn't think he liked me all that much. I mean, whenever I came around, he just seemed really pissed. Not that he wasn't always pissed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied.

He shrugged. "Alright."

When we arrived at the South entrance, we saw that there were about twenty guards stationed near the door.

"Hey, Kal, there are about twenty or so guys by the doors. Think we should kick their asses or find a different way?" I asked through the mind link.

"Can you take them?" He asked.

I looked at Superboy, and he nodded. "Yeah, we can take em."

"Alright, make sure they don't alert anyone though."

"Got it."

Conner looked at me. "I'll take the ones on the left, you the right?"

"Sounds good," I replied. "I'm gonna take all of their guns first though." I took off at full speed and darted around each guard, ripping their guns out of their hands and eventually running back to Superboy. "Where do you want me to put them?"

He shrugged. "In an alley maybe?

I nodded and dumped them nearby in a grimy alley, then ran back. "Good enough."

He nodded. "Ready? Three, two one, GO!"

We charged at the unsuspecting guards, taking them by surprise and knocking out about half of them. A couple were a little tougher to knock out, but after three or four minutes, we were surrounded by a bunch of moaning henchmen. Superboy punched a hole in the door, and motioned for me to follow.

When we arrived at the rendezvous point, we found that the others were already there. But they weren't mobile. All of them were strapped to things similar to the tubes in Cadmus, but without the glass. M'gann was unconscious, therefore taking down the mind link, and Robin, Artemis, and Kaldur were trying to break free of their restraints, but failing. When they heard us enter, they stopped.

"Kid Flash, Superboy! Thank God!" Robin exclaimed. "Think you can-"

"Guys, watch out!" Artemis cut in. I whirled around only to see a gun pointed to my head, and a gruff looking guy holding it.

"If anyone says one more word, I'll pull this trigger and blow his brains to next Monday." He growled.

Everyone was silent.

The man seemed satisfied with himself, and I finally got a good look at him. He was at least 300 lbs, but all muscle. Tufts of black hair poked out from under his red bandana. He was wearing a tattered biker vest and old jeans with holes in them. I could smell drugs on him, and believe me, it wasn't pleasant. I was wondering how such a grungy looking dude got so much equipment.

He dragged me by my hair over to another Cadmus looking thing, and snapped an inhibitor collar around my neck, all the while still holding a gun to my head. He fastened the restraints around my hands, feet, legs, and ribs. "Alright, now, you may be wondering who I am and why I did this. First off, I am The Refractory. I am do I g this to you because I am tired of seeing you bask in all of this glory."

I kind of stopped listening after that. Zoning out, I began to think about my Mom again. She looked so vulnerable, so broken. The only time I had ever seen her look like that was when her dad died. I just couldn't get over the fact that my dad hurt her. It was like he was a whole different person.

"FLASH BOY!"

I snapped to attention at my name, even though it was Kid Flash ( I don't know what people don't get about it!). I looked up, and saw the royal grunge standing in front of me. "Why weren't you paying attention?" He sneered.

"I was!" I lied.

He rolled his eyes. "I know you weren't listening, you little shit. What am I, some kind of idiot?"

"Yes," I muttered under my breath. But apparently he heard it, because the next thing I knew, there was a gun barrel being swung at my ribs.

CRACK! I felt my ribs crack as he slammed the barrel into my torso.

Looks of surprise came of her my team mate's faces. "Wally!" Someone cried, but I wasn't paying enough attention to care.

"I'm okay," I lied. It hurt to breathe. It felt like my ribs had shattered into a million pieces. I couldn't move, so that made it much worse than it could have been.

The Refractory just smiled. It was a cruel smile, almost psychotic, but I had a feeling that this guy was more like Luthor than Joker. "Alright. Well, I wasn't originally planning for you to get killed, you know. I was just planning to beat you all up and then set you free, so your mentors could see you and see how serious I am about destroying them and you all." He sighed. "Buuuut, Mini Flash decided to piss me off, and so I'm going to teach you all a lesson. I'm going to teach you that you should keep your mouth shut in life. By killing you. Anyone got anything to say?"

The warehouse was silent, all except for my pained gasps.

"That's what I thought," The Refractory grinned. He pulled out a trigger with a big red button on the top. "This will trigger those bombs." He pointed to the corner, where several medium hi-tech bombs were set to go off. The bright red numbers on the time screens blinked 3:00, for three minutes. His thumb jammed the button on the controller, and the bombs started ticking down. "Alright, bye!" He walked out of the room.

"What now?" Superboy growled."

Robin squirmed a bit more. "Ah, I think I can get out of these if I juuust... there! " He now had one arm free. With a bit more moving, he was able to free himself. He ran over to the bombs and started defusing them. Apparently, the guy didn't know much about Robin, because he had defused them in almost a minute.

Running over to us, he kicked the green kryptonite away from Superboy, and said person got up and started helping release everyone. Superboy started ripping the chains off of me, being careful as he could be to not cause me any pain. Robin had already freed M'gann and Artemis and was currently working on Kaldur. The two girls just stood there, not knowing what to do. Artemis actually looked concerned, which was new...

Snap! Superboy had finally gotten the chain off. I hopped down like it was no big deal, but really my ribs were on fire. "Thanks Supey."

Superboy gave me a confused look. "Uh, shouldn't you be immobile? Cause, ah, you just got, like, four of your ribs broken..."

I showed him off. "Nah, I'm fine. They've probably started to heal by now." The real reason I was avoiding them was because I didn't want to have to deal with all of the drama that would ensue if they found out just how badly I was hurting.

I jogged over to the ship, Robin and Conner following. Everyone else was already there, and M'gann took off.

They were banged up: M'gann had a sprained wrist, Robin had a few bruises and a big black eye, Artemis had a gash running down her cheek, Kaldur had a split lip and a bruised arm, and Superboy was fine.

But everyone was exhausted. It was nearly midnight, and none of us had eaten, except for the protein bars I had given each of them when we first arrived. But those were long gone. At the moment, we were all slumped in our seats, about to fall asleep, except for M'gann. God, that girl was cheery.

When we finally arrived back at the mountain, it was nearly two o'clock in the morning. Batman had ordered us all to the med bay, so him and Barry could patch us up. I had gotten an ace bandage around my torso, and was told to go home and get some rest.

When I seated out of the mountain and finally got home, I crept into the house slowly, so I wouldn't wake my mother.

But it turns out that she was still awake.

Along with my father.

**CLIFFY! Yeah, I'm horrible. Okay, so I want at least four reviews! Kay? And I like ideas, so feel free to give me some! **

**PS. Um, sorry that this chapter kind of sucked... But, the next will be better !**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay nerds, please vote on the poll on my profile. I really need to know which stories people want me to update, and which ones you guys don't care for, so I don't spend my time updating shitty stories. Thanks.**

**Onward!**

I slowly opened the front door, being careful and trying to make it not squeak. Light flooded my vision and blinded me for a moment, but I quickly recovered. I expected my mom and dad to be on good terms, watching tv on the couch or something.

The TV was on, but my parents weren't curled up on the couch watching America's Got Talent.

My mom was curled up in a corner, crying. My father hovered above her, fist in the air, about to bring it down on her.

"Mom!"

I flung myself inbetween her and my dad's hand. His fist pounded my newly-wrapped ribs, and I cried out in pain. When my dad realized that he had punched me, not my mom, he was furious. He charged at me, but I swiftly dodged, and my father smacked his face on the edge of our granite countertop.

I looked over at my mom, who was still curled up in the corner. I was about to say something, but my dad rose again and took me by surprise, knocking me down. "How dare you, you worthless brat! I do everything I can so you and your mother can live a nice life, and you repay me by coming home at three in the morning and slamming me into the counter!"

He slammed my head into the tile floor of our kitchen. Black spots invaded my vision as I felt blood trickle out of my nose, staining the white tile under me.

"Rudy, stop!" My mother cried.

"Shut up Mary, I'm teaching this boy some respect!" My dad hollered at her as he slammed my head down again.

I was furious, despite my lightheadedness. "Hey, that's no way to talk to my mother, you asshole!"

"Shut up, you worthless price of shit! You respect me!" He screamed. Picking me up again, he threw me hard to the floor. I was pretty sure that my ribs had broken again. "Get to your feet and fight like a man!" He spat.

I shakily got to my feet, starting to question ever backtalking him. I was being powered by sheer adrenaline now. I couldn't understand what made my dad like this. It was like he was a whole different person. My torso was throbbing, but my head was way worse. I reached up and lightly touched my forehead, and felt a lump the size of a small apple beginning to form. The back of my head was throbbing violently, and it felt like my brain was pounding against my skull.

He pushed me up against the wall, holding me against the wall by my hair. "Never disrespect me again. You hear me?"

I nodded quickly.

He smirked. "Good." He released me and I fell to the ground. I heard the front door slam as I slumped against the wall. My mom rushed up to me.

"Wally, sweetie? Sweetie, can you hear me?"

I nodded in response.

"C'mon Hon, get up."

"Kay," I mumbled. I slowly pushed myself up, wincing as my head and ribs protested. I plodded to the stairs and slowly made my way up, leaning on my mother for support. I could tell she felt horrible. We finally rounded the corner to my room, and I collapsed into my unmade bed, not bothering to take my shoes off or change.

"G'nite ma," I mumbled.

She leaned over and kissed my forehead. "G'nite sweetie." Her shadow danced across my walls as she walked slowly out of my room.

When I woke up, I felt like I had got hit by a truck. It seemed like I had just closed my eyes, but glancing at my alarm clock, I realized that it was already one o'clock.

Great.

I dragged myself out of bed and to the bathroom. I examined my face in the mirror. A faint bruise circled my left eye and my nose was swollen. There was a dark red lump on my forehead. Shouldn't those have been gone by now? I had eaten last night... hadn't I? Ah, whatever. I peeled the ace bandages off of my torso, and was depressed to find that an angry purple bruise was still printed across my ribs, reminding me of the fight last night.

I slowly pulled on my uniform and crept down the stairs. My mother was still sleeping, I guessed. I didn't want to wake her, so I just grabbed a few protein bars and my bag and snuck out the door.

While I was walking to the zeta tubes, I thought about excuses. What would I say to them? I could easily hide the bruises on my ribs and arms, but my face and head were another problem. I got beat up at school? No. Ah, I tripped? No. I was trying to stop a gang? It'd have to do.

I walked into the alley where the zeta beam was disguised. The space was a tight squeeze, and it smelled like dead squirrels and mold. I strolled into the telephone booth and punched in the code for the mountain. Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced myself the pain to follow. Zeta beaming with an injury was never a good idea.

I opened my eyes, and I was in the cave. I walked into the kitchen to find M'gann taking cookies out of the oven. She looked up. "Hey Wally!"

I managed a half-hearted wave. "Hey M'gann." I seriously felt like shit.

She looked concerned. "What happened?"

I shrugged. "When I went home, I saw a gang who were hurting a woman, so I went in and stopped them. I guess they were tougher than that looked," I said smiling a bit. A smile is always a reassuring cover.

She nodded and flashed me a smile. "Okay, just making sure."

I nodded. "Yup, everything is fine," I reassured. "Do we have training today?"

She thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think so. At 1:45." She glanced at her watch. "So about now," she confirmed with a smile. Her usual attire was replaced with her uniform as she shapeshifted.

We walked down the hall and to the training room, chatting lightly about mindless things. When we arrived, I saw that Robin was already there, lightly sparring with Superboy. Artemis and Kaldur were talking about pollution in the water or something. Artemis looked up. "Hey M'gann!" She called. She looked at me and sneered. "Baywatch."

I really didn't feel like dealing with her royal bitchiness, so I decided not to say anything, and just nod in return.

Black Canary walked in, and instructed us to pair up. "M'gann and Robin, Kaldur and Conner, and Wally and Artemis," she ordered. "And, um, Wally, what happened?"

"I was stopping a gang," I mumbled.

I sighed and walked over to Artemis. Guess I wasn't going to be able to avoid her today.

She must've noticed that I wasn't very happy, because she rolled her eyes. "I don't want to be with you either, you know. And what happened to your face?"

"I was stopping a gang," I said.

I watched as Kaldur and Superboy, and Robin and M'gann sparred. Finally, it was our turn.

"Okay, Artemis and Wally, you're up," Black Canary said.

I walked to the middle of the room and took my fighting stance. Artemis did the same.

Black Canary started to count down. "Three, two, one, GO!"

Artemis charged at me, sending a kick at my torso. I swiftly dodged, slightly wincing as my ribs protested. I threw out a punch, which she dodged easily. "C'mon Baywatch, let's go. Your gonna have to do better than that if you actually want a remote chance of winning," she smirked. I responded with a kick aimed at her side. She dodged and sent a roundhouse kick to my legs. While I tried to regain my footing, she quickly kicked me in the ribs.

Hard. I cried out and fell to the ground, trying hard not to show how much that really hurt. Artemis smirked and basked in the glory for a moment, then offered me a hand. I was too busy trying not to scream in pain to take it, instead trying to control my breathing. My head had started to throb violently again, and at that moment, all I wanted to do was stay on the floor.

Her glory smile quickly faded, and a concerned frown curved onto her face. "Baywatch? Are you okay?"

I nodded, and forced myself to sit up. "Yeah, I'm- augh -fine."

Canary walked over. "What's wrong?" She asked when she saw me. I guess I looked pretty shitty, considering that Canary usually didn't care when we got hurt during training. Her motto was: If you don't look like you are dying, get up off of your ass and gimme twenty!

I nodded. "I'm-I'm okay..."

Her mouth twisted in concern. "Well, you can leave early today. You don't look so good. Do you want someone to check your ribs real quick?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine, but thanks."

She looked unsure, but nodded. "Alright. Head home, and if you still don't feel well, you don't have to train tomorrow."

I nodded. "Kay." I pushed myself up to a standing position, and it took all of the strength I had to say upright. I waved weakly to the rest of the team. "Bye guys." Friendly goodbyes rang out as I walked out the door.

The zeta-beam felt like I was torn in half and sewed back together again, which, believe me, is horrid. I limped along the street to my house, each step more painful than the one before. My breath came out in uneven pants and my brain felt like it was banging against my skull.

Finally I arrived at my house. I fumbled with my key, but managed to get it into the keyhole by some miracle. I weakly pulled the door shut behind me. There were no cars in the driveway, indicating that I was alone. My bag slipped out of my fingers and slumped against the wall as I slid my shoes off. Not wanting to conquer the stairs, I slowly made my way over to the couch and lied down.

I was asleep in an instant.

"Wally?"

I groaned and attempted to roll over

My mother shook me lightly. "C'mon Hon, Wake up."

I cracked open my eyes and slowly sat up. My mother sat on the edge of the couch. "What time is it?"

"Five," she replied. "C'mon, I made some soup. Come and eat."

"Alright," I croaked. I pushed myself up off of the couch and limped to the counter. Slumping on a barstool, I stared down at the bowl of soup in front of me. I swirled my spoon around in it, and took a few bites. It had looked good, but it tasted bland and boring. Then again, nothing sounded good when you felt like you had been hit by a truck.

My mom peered up at me from her bowl. "He didn't mean it. What he said last night."

I nodded. "I know."

"He loves me and you. Your Father-" she paused for a moment as she tried to figure out how to explain it. "He hasn't been in the right mindset."

"I know," I said quietly.

"And he never means to hurt you," she went on. "He's just frustrated."

I nodded again. I knew he never meant to hurt me. It had just been a tough week, I tried to convince myself.

Just a tough week.

**Hi guys! Please review because I really tried hard with this chapter... also, 9 reviews! I feel so loved! Thank you to all of you who reviewed, it makes my day! I want to give a big hug and thank girlwonder113 for keeping me insane! I love you! **

**Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

That night, I hardly slept at all. I lied awake, staring at the shadows masquerading across my ceiling. The moon peered through my curtains, seeming to taunt me.

Tell some one.

But I couldn't. What would he do to me if I did? I honestly didn't want to think about it. At least no one could see the bruises.

I roll over and glance at my clock. Midnight. I should get to sleep, but I know I won't. My pillow is too warm, so I flip it over and press my cheek into the cool side. At around three thirty, I guess, I fell asleep.

_My dad shoved me into the basement, and padlocked the door. "You ungrateful brat. This will teach you some respect," he growled. _

_"Please, Dad, no!" I begged, pleading for my life it seemed like. He slammed the door and bolted it shut, locking me in there. I pounded on the door. "Please, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"_

_"Shut up!" was the muffled response. _

_I tried again. No answer. This went on for minutes, hours, I didn't know. Finally, he opened the door. He was holding a pistol in his hand, and held my mother by the wrist. He pressed the gun to her head, and threatened me._

_"Boy, you best shut up, or I will blow her brains to next Monday." My mom was silent, panic and horror inscripted in her face. _

_"Don't hurt her!" I begged. "Please! Please don't!" But he didn't listen._

_He slowly pulled the trigger and..._

I bolted up in bed, on the verge of screaming. My eyes scanned the room for any sign of my father, but all was calm. I took a few deep breaths to try and control my breathing. "A nightmare, it was just a nightmare," I mumbled to myself. Fixing my pillowcase, which had slipped halfway off of my pillow, I lied down again, and tried to fall back asleep.

But couldn't. I kept thinking of my dad. How far would he go? It was mostly my fault, I knew, but I didn't know how far he would take the beatings.

How far he would go on my mother. I prayed that he wouldn't hurt her. That he would hurt me instead. I just didn't know what he would do.

Or what I would do.

!#=!#=!#=!#=!#=!#

I never ended up falling back asleep, so I just read and doodled science theories until it was time to get up. I figured I'd just head to the mountain to train : it would be too suspicious if I didn't.

I threw my suit in my gym bag and crept down the stairs. It was a Saturday, and my dad had the day off, so I tried to be quiet as possible for fear of waking him up. I skipped the third step down on our staircase, because it was the only one that squeaked, carefully sliding onto the fourth. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the landing, because there was no sign of my father.

But that smile was quickly extinguished when I saw him sitting at the counter, drumming his fingers on the dark granite countertop. He was looking to be waiting for something, and I hoped it wasn't me. I contemplated climbing out my back window, but decided to just face him. I stepped down the last step, and turned to face my father.

He looked up. "Wally."

"Hi Dad..." I mumbled. He gestured for me to sit at one of the barstools. I silently walked over and slid onto one of the cherrywood chairs.

He sighed. "I'm sorry for the other night. You need to know that I would never hurt you intentionally, and that I feel terrible." He looked genuinely sorry, and I wanted so hard to believe him, but my faith was running out. Still, I nodded. "And I would never hurt your mother either," he went on. "I understand if you don't forgive me, but please know that it will never happen again."

Oh God. What was I supposed to say? 'No, sorry dad, but I don't forgive you, because I don't know if I can keep doing this.' No, I'd seem like a sefish asshole.

"Of course I forgive you, dad, " I said.

He broke out into a smile. "Thanks son. But can you do me a favor?"

I nodded.

"Can you not tell anyone about this? Because this isn't the type of stuff that should be traveling around the Justice League, know what I mean?" He said the last part so it made it sound like I didn't have a choice but to agree.

"Sure."

He smiled and stood up. I followed suit. He stepped forward to hug me. I accepted the hug, but I was numb to the affection he tried to send my way.

I knew I would have to tell someone soon, but I didn't know if I could.

#!-#!-#!-#!

When I arrived at the mountain, it was about ten o'clock. I stepped into the living room, I wasn't surprised to find Robin. He was sitting on the couch, and typing something on his laptop. He looked up. "Hey. Feeling better?"

I shrugged, and pasted my signature grin on my face. "Is Batman the scariest hero?"

He grinned. "Good." His smile faded. "Up for some sparring?"

I shrugged, and was about to say something, when the zeta tubes announced the arrival of none other than the harpy queen herself.

" Feeling more like your own idiot self?" She sneered at me. Something inside me snapped. I knew it was her way of asking if I was okay, but it pissed me off. I already had to deal with one problem in my life, and her constant bitchiness was really egging me on. I mean, can't she see that I haven't been having a great week? Can't she ever just talk to me without an insult?

"Do you ever shut up?!" I asked incredulously. "Nearly everything you say is a put-down or insult to me. You don't do anything except insult and bring me down, and I am tired of it. You're a complete bitch! And I know for a God-given fact that Green Arrow doesn't have a niece. Your probably just a spy for the bad guys! You don't even belong on this team."

Silence.

She recoiled like I had just slapped her, and I realized what I had just said. It was the ultimate insult to call someone a spy for the bad side. She almost started to cry. "Fine. I know when I'm not wanted," she said angrily through red rimmed eyes. She stormed out of the room, furiously scrubbing her eyes.

I sighed. Shit. "Listen, I didn't mean-"

"Save it for the 'real team'!" She growled over her shoulder.

I looked over to Robin, and he shook his head, shocked. "That was harsh..."

"I- I didn't mean it, I-"

"Whatever," he cut in, walking away and leaving me standing there.

Great. Now I had them hating me too.

I sighed and walked to the garage, feeling horrible and alone. I saw Superboy working on something, but I slipped past him. He probably heard me, but I didn't care. He's always never liked me.

I crept out of the mountain and outside. Scaling the side of the mountain, I climbed to the top, and settled at a small alcove that was carved Into the hard surface of the mountain. It was my place that I would escape to, when frustrated or when I needed to think. I slid into the medium-sized space.

It was about the size of a smart car, and smooth inside, for some reason. I had stashed some science magazines under a medium-sized boulder, and there was a few wrappers scattered around. I pressed my back against the cool rock and stared out at the Atlantic ocean.

The sky was bruised, green and dark purples mixing in with dark gray, clouds hanging heavily in the air and threatening downpour. Rain didn't bother me though. It was calming. I thought of it like the sky letting it all go, taking a break, cracking under the pressure and the stress. Almost like me. But I hadn't cracked. Not yet, at least. My thoughts wondered to the question that had frequently been popping up in my head.

Should I tell someone?

I knew I shouldn't. If the team or league found out, I would instantly be kicked off of the team. And there was no way I would let that happen... I mean, I was one of the founding members... But did they really want me? I was the goof ball, screwing up the missions whenever I got the chance. I was the one always there, always hanging around, but no one really asked for me to be around. Maybe my dad was right...

"Ow!" I looked down to find a sharp rock clenched in my fist digging into my palm and drawing blood. I pulled it out and gave it a hard throw. It sailed through the air and disappeared into the ocean. I wiped the blood from my Palm on my jeans, staining the light blue denim. I examined the cut, and found it to be healing slower than usual. My stomach growled, but I ignored it. I didn't feel like speeding down the mountain, and, to be honest, food didn't sound good. It didn't sound satisfying in a way. It usually meant something was wrong with a speedster that didn't think food sounded good, but it just didn't.

It started to rain, and I leaned my head against the wall. It was frustratingly confusing, but I decided to just take a break from thinking. I pulled out my iPod, a very old one (not even an iPod touch) and turned it on. I shoved my earbuds in my ears and 'Mr. Brightside' by The Killers started to play. I closed my eyes and just listened.

-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#

"Have you guys seen Wally?" Robin asked. "I need to talk to him."

The team was all gathered in the living room, Conner and M'gann curled up on the couch, M'gann reading a . romance book and Conner watching his favorite tv show, Static. Artemis was fiddling with her bow and arrow, and Robin had just walked in.

"No." Artemis deadpanned, venom in her voice. "Nor would I ever want to."

M'gann raised her eyebrows. "Did something happen…?"

Robin sighed. "Ah, yeah. He-"

"He was an asswipe!" Artemis interrupted. "He yelled at me, and he accused me of being a spy for the enemy, he-"

"We get the point," Kaldur intervened calmly. He was currently reading a book in the overstuffed recliner.

Robin rolled his eyes impatiently. "Well, the point is, have any of you seen him?"

Murmurs of no and haven't seen him echoed through the room.

"Try the top of the mountain," Superboy gruffly suggested.

Robin raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask. "Alright." He disappeared around the corner and walked to the garage. He knew that something wasn't right with Wally, and he was determined to find out.

For one thing, Wally would never talk to someone like he did to Artemis. They had many fights, but what Wally said to her wasn't a normal, everyday insult. Anther thing was that he hadn't seen Wally eat hardly anything the past few days. That was pretty self-explanatory. Sure, he had a protein bar two days ago. But just one protein bar. It just wasn't normal.

But the thing that bothered him the most was that he hadn't seen Wally smile in almost three days, let alone laugh. And that was really abnormal. Speedsters were always happy, it was like an unidentified trait. Wally was like the glue that held the team together; without him, they would just be a bunch of dark, (well, not really M'gann, but you get the idea), skilled teens in a team. They'd be even more dysfunctional than usual. He was like the irritating Sun that shined through your curtains on a Saturday to wake you up, even though you planned to sleep in. He was undoubtedly the most annoying person ever, but even though they wouldn't admit it, the team wouldn't be the same without him annoying the living hell out of them.

Robin stepped out into the rainy weather and looked up at the mountain. Vaguely remembering a spot that Wally sometimes came up to, he started to scale the mountain.

-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#

The song had just switched, and guitar riff of 'Girl All The Bad Guys' by Bowling for Soup signaled the end of the song. "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen started. I mentally switched the Teacher to Archer (Not Roy, you creeps, Artemis!)

Suddenly, Robin stepped into the small space carved out of the mountain. I paused my iPod and took the earbuds out. He stepped forward and sat down next to me. We were shielded from most of the rain by the way the space was carved into the mountain, but a few drops steadily sprinkled in. We sat there for I don't know how long, silent, just looking out at the sky. I wrapped my earbuds around my fingers slowly as I waited for him to say something. He looked concerned and a little confused.

He shattered the silence. "So."

**Gee, I feel soooooo loved. 4 reviews for the last chapter . Really? You could do better. Thanks to those who did review though, it makes my day :) helpicantgotosleep gave me wonderful ideas, so my love to her. And I poured my frickin soul over this. Plus, it was longer than usual. Ish. So review. Remember, less reviews, less updates!**

**GingerGeek out.**


	5. Chapter 5

He shattered the silence. "So."

I was silent for a moment. "Yeah."

He turned to lean against the wall and face me. "What happened." He said it like a sentence, not a question, which made me feel like I had to answer it.

I looked at my feet. "What do you mean?"

"You aren't you."

I looked up. "How?"

"You. You just- you haven't been acting like yourself lately. The way you talked to Artemis today, it was just something that you wouldn't do. You've never blown up like that, I mean, you're the most laid-back person I know, and-"

"So?" I cut him off. "I'm sorry if I haven't been happy enough for you, but I actually have a life outside of the team. I can't always be happy. I didn't mean to say those things, but you guys wouldn't listen when I tried to apologize!"

He sighed. "I'm not saying that you always have to be happy, I'm saying that I can see that-"

"There's nothing wrong," I snapped.

"I'm not blind Wally, I just-"

"I don't wanna hear-"

"WOULD YOU LET ME FINISH?!" He yelled.

I fell silent, shocked by his sudden outburst.

"Wally, I didn't come up here to have a screaming match. I came up here because I know something is wrong. I've seen how you've been acting the past few days, and I can tell that something happened. You never blow up like that. In all of the years I've known you, it's never happened. I can tell you haven't been eating, because your ribs should've been healed before yesterday." He swallowed. "Worst of all, you haven't smiled in ages, let alone told an awful joke! The team notices these things, you know. You look like you're about to fall asleep any second. It's like all of the life was sucked out of you, and all that's left is this hollow shell, this exhausted, angry, bitter, depressing, hollow shell. Wally, what happened?"

A lump the size of a golf ball formed in my throat. Should I tell him? He needs to know. I need to tell someone, anyone. But if it somehow got to the league, I would be kicked off the team. They'd hate me. Barry probably wouldn't even talk to me anymore. But someone needs to know.

"Dick..."

He looked up at the sudden use of his real name. "Yeah?"

"I- um, I..." I trailed off. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. I could see the worry on his face, but I just couldn't. No one could know.

"Wally, what's wrong, tell me! What happened?!" He pleaded.

"Nothing, it's nothing, never mind."

"Wally, come on!" I could hear the frustration rising in his voice. "Just tell me!"

"I CAN'T!" I hollered.

Robin fell silent for a moment.

"I can't," I went on, more quietly. "Please, just stop asking."

His face went from confused to worried. "Fine. I'm sorry." He didn't say it in a mad way, but I could tell that he was going to find out somehow. "I'll give you some space." He pushed himself up, and disappeared into the rain.

-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#

Robin walked into the training room where the team had started to train. "Guys, we need to talk."

Artemis set down her bow and arrows and walked over, perching on a workout bench. Conner stepped away from his punching bag and M'gann followed suit, putting down the weight she was lifting telepathically. Kaldur walked over also, putting down his weights and sitting near Robin on another workout bench.

"Have you guys noticed anything about Wally that's... I don't know, different?"

"If we're gonna talk about that jerk, I'm outta here," Artemis growled, moving to get up.

"Wait!" Robin said. "Stay."

The archer noticed that his voice was coated with worry. She pretended not to care and hastily sat down.

"I have," M'gann said quietly. "Whenever he comes near me, this wall, this giant wall of grief and pain and terror and guilt just slams into me. He is under horrifying stress and pressure, It's horrible..." she trailed off. Conner wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"I've noticed that he hasn't been eating. We haven't had to shop in almost a week," Kaldur added.

Robin nodded. He was silent for a moment. He didn't really know what to say.

Suddenly, Artemis spoke. "His smile."

Everyone turned to her.

"He hasn't smiled in days," she went on. "It's- not normal."

Everyone there nodded.

"It's like he's a zombie. He's been up on the roof for hours," Superboy said, turning to the youngest member of the group. "Did he say anything when you went up there?"

Robin shook his head sadly. "No."

"Should we tell the league?" questioned Kaldur.

Robin shrugged. "Maybe."

"I don't think so," added Artemis. "He obviously doesn't want it to be known, so let's just keep it to ourselves. They'd probably find out anyway."

"But what of it gets worse?" Kaldur argued.

"Lets just keep it to ourselves," Robin said. "Okay? If it escalates, we'll tell the league."

Everyone nodded.

"Alright, you can go back to training," Robin said, getting up and walking out the door. He had some thinking to do.

-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#

I felt like I was about to throw up. I knew I needed to tell someone, soon. My stomach twisted in knots. I didn't know what to do anymore. If someone from the league found out, it would blow out of proportion. Barry would be furious, and then Iris would find out. And I couldn't imagine the team finding out. I would lose my best friends, practically my family. The fear of that overpowered the need to tell someone.

I guessed it wasn't a big deal anyway. I was never badly hurt. The cuts and bruises healed quickly. It was worth it if my mom didn't get hurt. Way worth it.

I didn't know if I could keep this from Dick anymore though. It was going to slip out soon. But if he found out... I honestly didn't want to think about it.

I looked at my watch. Five o'clock. I've been up here for a while. But I couldn't find a reason to leave. It was better than facing the team.

But actually, I really needed to apologize to Artemis. It was one thing that I could do.

I slowly walked down the mountain, and snuck into the garage. I crept to her room and stopped at her door. I could tell she was in there because I heard Green Day playing.

I took a breath and knocked.

I heard footsteps, and the door opened. She looked pretty with her hair in a messy bun and no makeup, but I wasn't about to tell her that. She looked at me in surprise, not expecting me.

I managed a small smile. "Hi."

"Um, hi," she replied.

"I'm sorry for, um, this morning. I didn't mean any of it. I haven't been feeling the best lately, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm really sorry."

She seemed surprised I had just apologized, but she accepted it. She flashed me a small but genuine, forgiving smile. "It's okay. You're forgiven, Baywatch. I guess I can be a bit harsh sometimes."

I grinned weakly. "Thanks."

Her eyes looked toward the ground, and her smile turned to a frown. "What's been going on? You haven't been yourself."

"Nothing," I said a little too quickly. "Nothings wrong,"

"You sure?"

"Um, I gotta go... see you tomorrow." I ran away from her and sped home, not bothering to zeta there. I didn't want to talk about my apparent problems. I was running home full-speed, and arrived at my house quickly.

My mom's car wasn't there, I noticed. So just me and my dad. I slowly walked up the front walkway and opened the front door. I was relieved to find that no one was around. I found a note on the counter from my mom, saying that she was going out with her friends for dinner. I crumpled up the note and threw it away.

I was just about to head upstairs, when suddenly, a fist swung out of nowhere and collided with the left side of my head. Black spots invaded my vision, but I pushed myself up, clutching the counter for support.

"Where's your mother!" My dad growled. I could smell alcohol and smoke from a bar.

"I- I don't know," I gasped out.

He grabbed my arm and shoved me up against he wall. He slapped me across the face. Hard. I didn't make a sound, but tried hard to stifle a pained cry. Heat burned across my left cheek painfully.

"You fucking know well where she is," he hissed accusingly. "Tell me!"

I shook my head. He grabbed my neck and slammed me into the wall again. "I'm- so- rry, I d- ont know," I choked out. I couldn't breathe. My vision was turning fuzzy. He rolled his eyes. He let me go, and I collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. He kicked me in the chest and ribs as hard as he could a few times, then stormed out of the house.

"You won't tell me? Then I'll just find out for myself." The door slammed, and I was alone.

I lay there for I didn't know how long, curled into a ball, in the middle of the kitchen floor. I tried to focus on my thoughts, how I was relieved Artemis forgave me. How good of friends they were. I wonders when our next mission would be.

I guess I fell asleep, because the next thing I knew, my mom was shaking me.

"Wally, Hon, wake up."

I cracked my eyes open, but they slid shut quickly.

"Wally, c'mon, wake up!" She sounded frantic, so I took my last ounce of strength and pushed myself up to lean against the cupboard. My mother knelt next to me, looking worried. I looked blearily up to the clock. Ten thirty. Mom must've just got back from her night out. "Did he do this?"

I nodded.

She frowned. "Lets get you to the couch." Slowly but surely, we made it over to the couch. I limped over leaning on my mom for support. We finally get there and I laid down. She just sits there in silence. I began to drift off, and soon, I was asleep. Before I fully fall asleep, I hear her whisper something, sounding like she was crying.

"I'm so sorry Wally. I'm so sorry."

**Okay, I cried. I'm not kidding. I cried when I read you guys' s reviews. I love all of you :'3 Almost twenty reviews for one chapter? It made my birthday, which was yesterday. But anyway, you guys are the best people in the world. **

**Please review! I worked hard to crank this chapter out! As always, less frequent reviews, less frequent updates :) **

**I LOVE ALL OF YOU! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU READING THIS! :):):):):):):)! 3333**


	6. Chapter 6

I sat up on the couch, having been woken up by a crash of thunder. My head protested, throbbing. Wait.. why was I on the couch? And why did the side of my head feel like it was about to explode?

Suddenly, it all came back to me.

I slowly raised a hand to the side of my head, feeling a swollen lump. Great. Blearily, I squinted at the nearest clock. The bright red numbers glowed three-thirty AM. Again, great. I laid down, my head resting on the arm of the couch.

I stared out through the curtains at the storm. Stormy weather lately, but I didn't care. I closed my eyes and just listened to the rain steadily pounding on the roof and windows. It calmed me a little, but I returned to my worried state when I started thinking about the team again.

They were going to find out sooner or later, I knew that they would. They could help, they probably would. But what if they didn't? What if they were mad? What if they didn't care? I just didn't want to get kicked off of the team. Honestly, it was one of the only things I looked forward to. School was boring, full of stuck-up jocks and teachers who didn't give a shit if you were picked on or not. The team was like my dysfunctional family. Kaldur, the mature, serious but kind older brother, M'gann, the sweet older sister, Conner, the surly older brother, Robin, the annoying but awesome little brother, and Artemis would be the bitchy twin sister, since she was about the same age as me.

Artemis. I had no clue why she would even care if I was acting weird. She was so confusing.

Augh. I was so tired. I had gotten next to no sleep the past few nights.

Slowly, I drifted back asleep to the sounds of the pouring rain smacking the windows.

-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#

I was jolted out of my sleep by my communicator. I blindly groped for my communicator, until I finally pulled it out of my jeans pocket.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Wally?" It was Robin, his voice crackled by the static.

"Hm?"

"We have training at eleven today. BC just announced it."

"Kay," I mumbled. I looked over at the clock. Ten fifteen. "I'll be over at ten forty-five."

"Cool. See you then."

I tossed my communicator to the floor, knowing that it wouldn't shatter. I slowly sat up, finding out that my head hurt a miniscule amount less if I didn't move it to fast. I still felt like shit though. Walking upstairs and to the bathroom, I switched on the shower, pulling off my shirt and examining my fresh bruises in the mirror. They weren't that bad, but there was an ugly bruise going from the crook of my left arm to my wrist, no doubt from my father.

After a quick shower, I slid on jeans and a t-shirt, then grabbed my bag with my suit and a protein bar. I forced myself to swallow the little bit of food as I walked down the three steps leading off of my front porch, slamming the door behind me. I had slid on a hoodie, the sleeves going a little past my wrists to cover the bruise on my arm. The whole time, my head throbbed violently.

Ignoring the pain, I kept walking. I didn't run, so it took longer than usual to finally reach the platforms.

When I finally did, I stepped inside the disguised platform and punched in the code for the mountain, bracing myself for the pain that I knew my head would feel.

-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#

Artemis frowned to herself as she walked down the hallway to her room. What was wrong with him? Stupid Wally, making her have feelings for him. Her bare feet thudded softly against the hardwood floor as she walked back into her room and sat on her bed.

Her room was painted a simple dark green, posters of Aerosmith, ACDC, and The Beatles hung up on the walls. It was kind of cool having her own room here, one with only one bed instead of two. More space, she claimed, but it was really because the other bed reminded her too much of Jade. She pulled her legs up onto the bed into an Indian style, tucking her feet into the crooks of her legs.

Suddenly, a soft knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts. M'gann stood there, smiling softly, holding two mugs of hot chocolate. "Um, hi. Do- um, I just thought..." She trailed off when Artemis just nodded and cut her off by patting the space beside her. M'gann walked over and sat, folding her legs into the same position as Artemis' and leaning against the wall that the bed was pushed against. "I know it's the middle of the summer, but I love hot chocolate." She handed a mug of hot chocolate to Artemis.

"So."

"So."

M'gann smiled. "I like your pajama pants."

Artemis looked down. She just noticed that she was wearing her green checkered, flannel pajama pants. But they were freaking comfortable, so she didn't care."I like yours too, " she grinned back.

M'gann looked down at her own purple pajama pants, which were decorated with small navy blue hearts. "Thanks." She let out a small laugh. "I guess we had the same idea today, to just lounge around in our pajamas."

"I guess so," Artemis grinned.

M'gann' s smile faded. "Um, I wanted to talk about Wally."

Artemis' face fell.

M'gann must've noticed, because she quickly said, "We don't have to."

Artemis shook her head. "No, it's fine. I need to talk to someone about it." She sighed. "He's just been... So, off, you know?"

M'gann nodded. "I know. Like Conner said, he's like a zombie, going through the motions."

"I hate to say it, but, it worries me. I hate him, I hate his guts, but I'm worried."

M'gann smiled. "Why do you hate him so much?"

Artemis shrugged. "I dunno, I just find him to be irritating and immature. I just hate him."

M'gann nudged her with her shoulder jokingly. "Don't say that."

Artemis laughed softly. "Eh, he knows I hate him." She turned serious again. "Its just really... unnerving."

M'gann nodded in agreement. "Whenever I even come near him, just- these waves of pain and guilt and devistation roll off of him. It's... disturbing, I guess. There's like, just this giant dam holding back all of this emotion, and its cracking..."

Artemis bit her lip. "So it's pretty bad, huh."

M'gann looked down. "It's horrendous."

"Do you know why he's like this? Like, what happened?"

M'gann shook her head sadly. "I can't read his thoughts." (well, she could, but she's not going to.) "I just... um, Yeah." Artemis nodded. She knew what M'gann was saying, it was hard to put into words.

"I think I'm gonna talk to him."

M'gann looked up at her in slight surprise. "I don't think you should."

"Why not?" Artemis asked. "We can't just keep sitting here, not having a clue what's going on. I want to know."

M'gann nodded, to Artemis' surprise. "I guess I know what you're saying. I mean, I would be worried if Superboy was acting weird..."

"Whoah whoah whoah," Artemis interjected. "Are you hinting that I like Wally? Because I most certainly DO NOT."

M'gann grinned. "Oh reeeeally."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna change into my uniform. Training at eleven."

"Oh yeah," M'gann said. She picked up the now-empty mugs. "I'm gonna go remind Superboy. See you in a few."

Artemis nodded. "Kay."

She suited up and grabbed her bow, walking of her room. There was some blood still on her bow from the last ass-kicking she did, and she scraped it off with the edge of a random gift card found on her dresser.

Suddenly, she heard Wally's name voiced over the intercom by the monotonic voice of the computer.

-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#

I forgot how much zeta tubing hurt with a probable concussion.

I almost passed out, it hurt so intensely freaking bad. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. Tasting a little blood, I figured I'd bit it hard enough for it to bleed.

When the pain subsided enough for my head to clear, I opened my eyes to find myself in the mountain. The living room and kitchen were empty, but suddenly, Artemis walked in.

She must've noticed how pale I was, and the blood on my lip. "Hey, are you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I tried not to show I was in pain.

"Um, I kinda wanna talk to you..."

Great. Another talk.

Might as well just go along with it. "Um, okay." I led her over into the living room. I sunk into the couch, and she took the chair adjacent to me.

"So..."

"I want to know what's going on. I'm sick of sitting here and not knowing what the hell is going on with you," she said.

I shook my head and shrugged a little, as if to say, I don't know what to do. What does she want me to say? I'm not just going to come out with it. Say, oh, well, my dad beats the shit out of me, but I can't be mad at him because he doesn't mean to.

Yeah, cause that'd go over well. I was the truth, but still.

Suddenly, Robin walked into the room. "Guys, training, remember?"

Saved by the bird.

I looked at my watch. 10:57.

"Yeah. We were just going to go to the training room," I lied. I stood up and followed him out of the room, Artemis behind me.

She walked a little faster until she was in step with me. "This will be continued."

Great.

**Long day. Haven't updated in a week, sorry about that. I've been having a really hard time conjuring inspiration,ive been a prisoner of writer's block. :( shitty chapter I know. But I love your reviews! Every single one of them makes me smile! :) 15 reviews last chapter! Wow guys! Let's see of we can make it to 50 total!**

**Review!**


End file.
